The invention relates to a tool such as a wrench, and more specifically, to a wrench that is used to remove a nut holding a wheel rim assembly to a brake drum.
There are many large tractor-trailer trucks which operate on the highways. It is estimated that about sixty to seventy percent of the tractor-trailer trucks use a so-called "Budd" wheel rim. The "Budd" wheel rim is a self-aligning wheel rim that is constructed so as to not require a great amount of expertise on the part of the person attaching the wheel rim to the truck wheel hub. This is an advantageous feature of the "Budd" type wheel rim when compared to a "spoke" type wheel rim.
Typically a pair of "Budd" type wheel rims are mounted to each wheel hub. This pair of "Budd" type wheel rims can be considered to be a dual self-aligning wheel rim. A plurality of hub studs pass from the interior of the brake drum through the wheel hub and brake drum housing so as to be projecting from the brake drum. An inner "Budd" type wheel rim is positioned so that the exposed portion of each stud passes through its corresponding aperture in the inner "Budd" rim. A cap stud is then threadedly connected to the hub stud so that the inner "Budd" type wheel rim is securely mounted to the wheel hub. An outer "Budd" type wheel rim is then oriented so that the exposed portion of each cap stud passes through its corresponding aperture in the outer wheel rim. A nut is then threaded onto the cap stud so as to securely mount the outer "Budd" type wheel rim to the hub.
As can be appreciated, the assembly for mounting the "Budd" type wheel rims to the hub is exposed to the elements during operation of the tractor-trailer truck. It is not unusual for a tractor-trailer truck to drive over one hundred thousand miles between tire changes. As a consequence of being subjected to a hostile environment for such a length of time, it is very common for the nut to be "frozen", as by corrosion or the like, to the cap stud. This occurrence presents special problems with the removal of the "Budd" type wheel rims from the hub.
When removing the nut from the cap stud, they must be held so that one is rotated with respect to the other. If this is not done, there is a great likelihood that the cap stud will be rotated so that the hub stud is backed out and falls into the brake drum. When this occurs, the entire wheel assembly must be dismantled. This results in a needless expenditure of both time and money by the tractor-trailer operator.
Heretofore, the "Budd" type wheel rims have been removed by utilizing a so-called "pork chop" tool in conjunction with a conventional impact wrench. The "pork chop" tool includes one end in which there is contained a contoured aperture that corresponds to the contour of the nut. This one end is positioned so that the nut is contained within the contoured aperture. The "pork chop" tool is then held stationary by the operator (e.g. by grasping it with his hand, stepping on it with his foot or by other means). The impact wrench is then fitted over the contoured outside end of the cap stud. The cap stud is then rotated relative to the nut. The "pork chop" is intended to hold the nut stationary.
The use of a "pork chop" tool in conjunction with an impact wrench has not always achieved the desired results since hub studs have been backed into the brake drum using such an arrangement. Even if the hub stud is not backed into the brake drum, the use of two separate tools on an object as big as a truck tire is both cumbersome and time consuming.
In view of the great number of tractor-trailers which operate and require regular maintenance in the form of changing of tires mounted on "Budd" type wheel rims, it should be appreciated that it would be highly desirable to provide a wheel rim wrench which can both efficiently and effectively remove "Budd" type wheel rims.